1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of producing a microbolometer.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is sometimes desirable to use thin microbridges in microbolometers to reduce the response time of the bolometer. Improved response time is the result of a reduction of the thermal mass of the microbolometers. However, the use of thin microbridges increases the risk of a reduction of the mechanical strength of pixels, leading to less robust imaging systems.
Thinning of the microbridges also affects sensitivity and detectivity of microbolometers. Indeed, thin microbridges have smaller thermal time constants (τ) and thermal conductances (G). Since the signal-to-thermal noise ratio of microbolometers is proportional to the (τ/G)1/2, it is important to optimize this value by choosing the appropriate microbridge design.